Pantograph-trolley.



C. AALBORG.

PANTOGRAPH TROLLEY. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, l9l5- PatentedSept. 17, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WWW 4 BY ATTORNEY c. AALBORG. PANTOGRAPH TROLLEY. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. I9I5.

WITNESSES 2 ATTORNEY 5 co PHOTO-THO WAsnlHGm/v. a. c.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

2 snzsrs sneer 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRIsTIAN AALBORG, or WILKINSBURG, PENNS'YLVANIA, AssIeNoR To wRsTING- HOUSE E ECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CoRroRATIoN or PENN- SYLVANIA.

PANTOGRAPH-TROLLEY.

Patented Sept; 1t, 1918.

Application filed February 17, 1915. Serial No. 8,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN AALBoRe, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new i and useful Improvement in Pantograph-Trolleys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolleys, and it has special reference to pantograph trolleys of a type which are particularly adapted to collect relatively large amounts of current under high-speed operation and to be operated in tunnels or other restricted places where lateral space is limited.

One object of my invention is to provide a current-collecting device having a loosely and yieldingly mounted contact member which shall be simple In construction and particularly adapted to effect a continuous electrical engagement with the trolley conductor at all operating speeds.

A further object of my invention is to provide a current-collecting device which shall normally present a relatively long laterally-extending contact surface to the trolley conductor to insure continuous contact therewith in spite of large lateral oscillations of the trolley at high speeds, and which shall be adapted to automatically shorten the effective length of the contact surface in depressed positions of the pantograph frame to prevent interference with adjacent objects where the lateral clearance is small and the trolley conductor is low, as in tunnels.

According to my invention, I provide a pantograph trolley having a resiliently mounted contact shoe having movable end portions or horns which are automatically and proportionally actuated throughout the vertical movements of the frame.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a view, partially in section and partially in end elevation, of a portion of a trolley embodying my invention, the trolley being shown in the raised position. Figs. 3 and 4 are views corresponding to Figs 1 and 2, showing the apparatus in its lowered position.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus shown comprises a pantograph supporting frame 1, a current-collecting member 2 that is carried on the frame 1, a movable contact member end-portion or horn 3 which is piv otally carried at 3 and actuating linkage mechanisms 4;.

The pantograph frame 1 may be of any well-known construction embodying a plurality of sets of relatively movable members 5 and 6 which are pivotally secured together by a transverse rod 7 that forms a support for the member 2.

The current-collecting member 2 comprises a pair of base members 8 which are rigidly carried on the respective ends of the rod 7 and a relatively wide contact shoe 9 that is resiliently carried on the base members 8 and is biased in position, relative to the rigid base members, by a plurality of springs 10. The contact shoe 9 embodies a pair of end members 11 which have downwardly extending U-shaped portions 12 that surround and pivotally engage the rod 7, a plurality of short curved end contact portions 13, and a central working portion or contact member 14 for making sliding electrical engagement with a trolley conductor. The base members 8 have downwardly extending oppositely disposed arms or bearing members 15 for carrying the horns 3 and are also provided with cups or seats 16, on the upper sides, for positioning the springs 10.

Each bell-crank shaped horn 3 is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 17 that is carried between the downwardly extending bearing members 15 of the base member 8, and comprises a long curved contact portion 18 and a relatively short angularly disposed lever arm 19. An integral hook 20 is provided upon the end portion 18 of the horn 3 to prevent the horn from disengaging the trolley conductor during excessive lateral movements of the trolley.

The horn-actuating linkage mechanisms 4 severally comprise a downwardly-extending link 21, the upper end of which is pivoted to the lever arm 19 of the horn 3 by a pin 22, and a pair of links 23 having their lower ends pivoted to the lower end of the link 21 by pins 24: and a shaft 25 and their upper ends pivoted by pins 26 to the opposite relatively movable frame members 5 and 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 which show the trolley in the raised position but not in contact with a trolley conductor, it will be seen that the springs 10 normally hold the shoe 9 horizontally in its extreme upper position, the upward movement being limited by the vU-shaped straps 12 which engage the rod 7.

When the shoe 9 engages the trolley conductor (not shown), the shoe is slightly depressed relative to the frame 1, thereby compressing the springs 10, and, when the trollev is in motion, the contact portion 14; makes sliding engagement with the trolley conductor throughout its entire width.

Because of its small inertia and resilient mounting the contact shoe 9 will follow very closely the slight irregularities of the trolley conductor, thus assuring good contact with the trolley conductor at all operating speeds.

When the shoe 9 strikes a hard spot in the trolley conductor, such as arigid hanger, the shoe is tilted about the rod 7, thereby reducing the hammer-blow effect on both the trolley and the overhead construction.

IfVhen running at high speeds, the lateral oscillation of the contact shoe 9 is often eX- cessive because of irregularities in the track and, in such cases, the trolley conductor may engage the contact portions 18 of the retractable horns 3.

The linkage mechanism fl: and the pivotally mounted horn 3 form a parallel-motion linkage which maintains the base member 8 substantially horizontal during the vertical movements of the trolley.

When the trolley is depressed and raised, the pivotally mounted horns 3 are correspondingly lowered and raised proportionally through the actuating linkage 4. In the lowered position of the trolley, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, the frame members 5 and 6 are spaced to their widest angle, and the horn 3 occupies its lowest position. When the'trolley. is raised, the frame members 5 and 6 pivotally turn downwardly with respect to the rod 7, and this downward movement is transmitted through the links 23 to the single link 21. Inasmuch as the upper end of the link 21 is pivoted to the end of the lever arm 19 of the horn 3, the downward movement of the link 21 is transmitted to the lever arm 19, thus turning the pivotally mounted horn 3 on its supporting shaft 17 and raising the angularly disposed curved contact portion 18. Since the horns 3 are actuated by the relative movement of the frame members 5 and 6, the upward and downward movements of the horns are proportional to the upward and downward movements of the frame 1.

In passing through tunnels and the like, where the lateral space is restricted and the trolley conductor is low, the trolley is depressed, and the horns 3 are withdrawn or lowered automatically, thus preventing interference. In the depressed positions of the trolley, as in passing under a low bridge or through tunnels, the full extended length of the shoe is not required, as the lateral oscillations of the trolley are reduced because of the reduced height.

I do not wish to be limited to the specific structural details shown and described, but desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a vertically movable pantograph frame, of a contact member carried upon said frame, movable end portions associated with said contact member, and means for proportionally actuating said end portions throughout the vertical movement of the pantograph frame.

2. The combination with a vertically movable pantograph frame, of a contact member carried upon said frame, movable end portions associated with said contact member, and automatic means associated with the frame for proportionally raising and lowering said end portions throughout the respective upward and downward movements of the frame.

3. In a trolley, the combination with a pantograph frame, of a contact shoe carried upon said frame, pivotally mounted-horns associated with the contact shoe, and means associated with the frame and the horns for proportionally actuating said horns throughout'the vertical movements of the frame.

4. In a trolley, the combination with a pantograph frame, of a. contact shoe carried upon said frame, pivotally mounted bellcrank shaped horns associated with the contact shoe, said horns comprising relatively long curved contact portions and relatively short lever portions, and mechanical means associated with the frame and theleve r'portions of the horns for proportionally actuating the horns throughout vertical movements of the frame; v

5. The combination with a pantograph frame comprising relatively movable members, of a contact shoe arried thereon, movable horns associated with said contact shoe, 115 and mechanical means associated withthe horns and the frame for actuating the horns in accordance with the relativemovements of the frame members. i

6. The combination with a pantograph 120 frame, of base members carried b said frame, a contact shoe mounted on said base members, movable horns associated with said contact shoe, and a single means for maintaining the base members substantially hori- 125 zontal and for actuating the horns.

7 The combination with a" pantograph frame, of a pairof contact shoe base memberscarried on said frame, a contact shoe resiliently mounted on said base"members,'-130 movable horns associated with said contact shoe, and a single means associated with the frame and the horns for maintaining said base members substantially horizontal and for actuating the horns.

8. The combination with a pantograph frame comprising relatively movable members, of a pair of base members carried thereby, a contact shoe yieldingly mounted on said base members, movable horns associated with the contact shoe, and a parallel-motion linkage associated with the horns and the movable frame members for maintaining the base members substantially horizontal and for actuating the horns.

9. In a trolley, the combination with a pantograph frame comprising oppositely disposed sets of relatively movable members, and a transverse rod joining the upper ends of the respective sets of frame members, of a pair of base members rigidly carried on the respective ends of said rod, a contact member having downwardly extending U- shaped straps adapted to engagesaid transverse rod, resilient means associated with the base members and the ontact member for biasing said contact member to the uppermost position thereof with reference to the base members, and means associated with the base members and the frame members for maintaining said base members substantially horizontal.

10. In a trolley, the combination with a pantograph frame comprising oppositely disposed sets of relatively movable members, and a transverse rod joining the upper ends of the respective sets of frame members, of a base member rigidly carried on the end of said rod and having downwardly extending bearing portions, a contact member resiliently associated with said base member, a movable bell-crank shaped horn pivotally carried upon the downwardly extending portions of the base member and comprising a long curved ontact portion and a relatively short angularly disposed lever portion, and a linkage mechanism for maintaining the base member horizontal and actuating the horn, said linkage mechanism being pivotally associated with the lever portion of the horn and the relatively movable frame members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of Feb. 1915.

CHRISTIAN AALBORG.

Witnesses:

C. E. WILSON, B. B. Hmns.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatenu,

7 Washington, D. G. 

